Notes From Underground (1995)

Hailed as one of the great archetypes of modern literature, tortured Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s works are densely plotted, highly cerebral, and suffused with a deep drama of psychology that is seldom achieved in film. Both a modernization and an adaptation of the Dostoyevsky novella of the same name, Notes From Underground (1995) is a brave and searing depiction of a man whose internal life has so enmeshed him that he loses relevance to even his closest of friends. On the surface, this is a film about a dinner party gone uncomfortably awry, leading the host to take refuge in a whorehouse. But no viewer will be allowed to remain on the surface of this exploration of swirling subconscious for long. Prepare for the depths, and for the surprising humor and resolution that can be found there alone.